New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-11
1RADBs- UNIONS AND 1HExSIcHrs.
4 REvoGUTroN UNDER wAY-PowpERLY's COW

REVOLUTION UNDER wAY-POWDERLY's COW
-. CEssfoxs.
PHILADELPHIA. sopt 10 sSpeeiai-The trades unonsts
ever since the Cleveland Convention OF 1856 have
waged unremltting warfare the present condact
oi tho knights Of Labor organization, and at Mime
apoIs the loHseOught opportunity will be given them
to accomplish their entis. Their work DO plainly
scernod In the movement Of tks past year within the
Order toward the formation OF trade d-tiics ana
National trade assemblies which closely resemble tho
trades-unons In their structure but their work has not
borne its completed fruits and will not until the Min
neapolIs Convention. "Thc Knights hitherto said
President Samuel Gomrers Of the American Federation
of Labor, the other day, shave always opposed the
trade;-unons, and they are now, in accepting the
trades-unon idea. merely yielding to the inevitable.
We look ufon these trades districts trades-rnons In
embryo, which VIII develop into fuiHcdgcd trades
unions aftor while"
Such great crafts as the shoemakcrs, who alone
number 100000, ana the railroad employees Ia tia
order, who number 25O,O0O, cannot be held back
the advancement Of their interests when they know
them and 1t Is definitely known that they propose
to mako a odd stroke and reOrsanizc the ortcP
now and improved basis to be for the most part q
grand alliance of National trades assemblies COMPOSED
of the various crafts Tho advocates OF such re.
organization are in close correspondence with ono
another, and already the pan Is beng fully discussed
and Perfected In different parts Of the country. Tho
PROSPECTS indicate that II wise mana cement IL used
they may succeed In securing Its ADDITION at Mnnc-
apols.
In such an event the standing General Executive
Board will be abolished and the business OF tho
will DO carried aftr emil ely different system
from the present For instance, while the Office Of
General Master Workman Will be continued its PIE
negatives will be lessencd and its duties will DO ma
teraIly altered. Such Institution q General
Executive Board Will DO done away with entirely IL
the plan OF the tiades-unonist advocates Is followed
will
to Its own affairs Though Its own ohcer, and tho
solo Duties OF the General Master viii be to
exercise general supervision over the interests Of the
order at largo and 10 keep sharp io0A out o'er the
whole field oil labor 10 suggest and recommend certain
lines Of policy and action, not TO dictate VI command;
to 10, In fact an executive officer and not an arDt-
trary ruler.
Following the Organization of all the assemblies Of
Pennsy ania hail employees into National trade
assembly, SIMILAR grouping oi assemDhes on Ito
Phiiad lhia and keadng, the Baltimore and Ohio, the
Delaware, IacAa wanna and Western, the New-fork
Central, the Union Pacific and other large Railway
systems Will be made shortly, 1t Is announced, with
oDice,s Of their own having control Of affairs. Tho
leaders arc said to be urging forward their worn In
tnis direction raj iay as Possible and IL Is an-
nounced that soon Is half dozen big rail- DAD sys-
tms have thus been organized into districts by tne-
selves call will DO issued for conS ehtion OF repre-
sentatiyes each to choose General Executive
Board oil their own, hands snail be vested
90 of auinCriLy equal that enjoyed by Ocaeral
A.a,ter nolnnan pCwueriy ana his coiieasues Al Is
ueo> ed LAT lle Executive BOARD VIII Eot
deem IL lrusEnL opl such great noi EN-, mt, no
matter how inucn they would lihe 10. the ieriuers
uowuI or, show sIi4it VI 0cnance 10 the present.
General Board, as this DECLARATION Iiol tho cLloi oI
the fnIlausID hia and hcadins Ine. VIII snow: Wo
won't ,.ire snap VI finger" sald ne, Tor the
OPPOSITION tine General Executive BOARD alecr QUIZ
o has reached a certain poihI We lfo-
nose ma ing practical raiiIoaocrs in charge OF our
alIars-Inen attempting 10 settle Our disputes
viii understand all the details OF our business ITO
day /, last for teiogra leiators, COAL
gers or sLoena-eis vi which Tho cen rai Board Is
now composed, aodqle In our railroad CONGO hs'
We must Ell TO attend ~ them our7ei'e %, VIM
out interference from any quarter"
Mr. powdcly aware OF this dr1t OF an3ifs, ahp
&c sae he, toore since tho recent elections o. anti
admintraflon delegates the MIneal ois Con, en-
he has assumed a cOnciliatory atitude toward .ho
traf,e,-inons and such bodies as desire 10 become
trades districts has already pro. osed coihIfO
se ulan by which he expects 10 heal ire usschsiohs
betwern the administration and the ia es-unions. Ie
IA outlined In this WEEKS issue Ut The journal OF
Tinted Labor" IL provides that each National
trade assembly shall have exclusive control over tho
the constitution of the General Assembly Is not No-
iatei In maturs concerning stftAcs no local trauo
assembly shall enter upon one unuf all the assehl.
bles in tho National trade assembly shall have votco
on the question, and have by thee-fouiths vote
agreed to render assistance. In case no nsl.tshoo
tive BOARD + not to terfere with the matter
Notwithstanding the importance OF Mr. PVwdetIys
latest concession tho chances are that the chal,os
81 the trade. -union idea will not acrept his comlio-
mise hut will insist they intended to do bci"o
on a complete transformation OF the order.